sustainABLEhouse - 2006 Symposium

The following is taken from the 2006 sustainABLEhouse program.  The event, presented by the bcWORKSHOP in partnership with the Dallas Architecture Forum was one of the first activities we did. Enjoy this look back.

In 1996, the Carnegie Foundation in their report, Building Community, asked the question:

“Will U.S. cities be centers of civilization or decay, and will American children inherit a wholesome physical environment that promotes heath and prosperity?”

Buildings provide a framework for daily life and reflect values of cities in which people live. In 2005, only 2% of homebuyers worked with an architect and if Dallasites are going to meet the demands of growing urban areas and provide quality affordable housing, then architects, planners, builders, and residents must engage a new way of architectural practice.

Over the next twenty-five years, North Texas will grow by more than 4 million people, and according to The City of Dallas Mayor’s Task Force on Affordable Housing, there is a current need for over 30,000 new homes. The way in which Dallas builds to meet this demand must be reevaluated to provide all individuals with healthy, sustainable living communities.

The first in a series of conversations, sustainABLEhouse will engage individuals in relevant discussion about building affordable housing for the citizens of Dallas. The assembled group of architects, builders, planners, developers, city officials, and activists will examine national best practices and local opportunities for achieving social and economic benefits through community design practices. Panelists and topics for this symposium include:

National Best Practices, with Michael Pyatok, FAIA, affordable housing architect based in Oakland, California and principal of Pyatok Architects, Alexander Garvin, urban planner, developer, and consultant of the national firm Alex Garvin & Associates, Rick Lowe, artist, activist, and founder of Project Row Houses in Houston, Texas, and moderated by Donald Gatzke, Dean of the School of Architecture at University of Texas at Arlington.

Community Design, with Scott Ball, architect and President of the Association for Community Design Brent A. Brown, Dallas architect and founder of bcWORKSHOP.

Local Opportunities, with Hank Lawson, executive director of SouthFair Community Development Corporation, John Greenan, executive director of Central Dallas Community Development Corporation, and moderated by W. Mark Gunderson, Fort Worth architect, educator, and critic.